Building construction



Dec. 29, 1936. M. J. DEMPSEY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed April 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Michael J. Dempsey, Waterbury, Conn, assignor to Copper Houses, Inc., New York, N.- Y., a corporation of Maryland Application April 22, 1936, Serial No. 75,698 7 Claims. (01. 18988) This invention relates to improvements in taching-plates I3 are secured to the supportingbuilding constructions, and more particularly to faces M of the supports I2 by any suitable means, building constructions having wall areas of sheet such, for example, as the nails I5 engaging material, preferably of copper, brass or other through the holes I6 of the attaching-bars I 3.

5, non-ferrous metal, though other sheet material Each attaching-bar I3 may be as short as the may be employed if so desired, such, for instance, width of a single support I2 or, if desired, may be as stainless steel, etc. of much greater length so as to extend across.

One object of this invention is to provide an a number of supports I2, as is illustrated by the improved building construction having provision attaching-bars I3 (Fig. 1). Each attachingwhereby contraction and expansion of various bar I3 and I3 has a pair of horizontal L-shaped portions of a building can be taken care of to flanges I'I forming a T-slot guide-way I8. avoid excessive strains or distortions of portions The outsideof the house preferably has a pluof a building. rality of upstanding panels I9 of sheet-material, Another object of this invention is to provide preferably sheet-metal, each having its opposite 1 an improved building construction formed of side-edges preferably bent as at 20, with each two simple elements readily manufactured and readadjacent bent portions 28 of adjacent panels ily assembled to produce a durable efficient conengaged by the pair of opposed flanges 2| of struction. an upstanding coupling-bar 22. Each coupling- With the above and other objects in view, this bar 22 has a pair of rearwardly-extending L- invention includes all improvements over the shaped flanges 23 facing one another and pro- 20 prior art which are disclosed in this application. viding a longitudinal or upstanding T-slot guide- In the accompanying drawings, in which cerway 24. Attaching-studs 25, each having a centain ways of carrying out the invention are tral shank 26 and heads 21 at its opposite ends, shown for illustrative purposes: are engaged with a coupling-bar and an attach- Fig. 1 is a front elevation illustrating a fraging-bar, with one head 21 slidably engaging in mental portion of a house constructed in accordthe horizontal T-slot I8 of an attaching-bar and ance with the present invention; with its opposite head 21 engaging in an upstand- Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but with the ing T-slot 24 of a coupling-bar 22. outer covering-portions removed to show the A spring-washer 28 has an opening 29, of a 30 supporting-structure or frame-structure with the size to fit the shank 26 of an attaching-stud 25, 30 attaching-bars secured thereto; and has a narrower opening 30 slightly smaller Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on than the shank 26 so that the spring-washer 28 line 3-3 of Fig, 1; can be applied in place on the shank 25 only by Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of forcibly springing it in place to slightly spread Fig. 3; the fingers 3| of the washer apart while sliding 35 Fig. 5 is a perspective View of an attachingthe washer into position, after which the fingers 3! contract sufiiciently to hold the washer in Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an attachingplace on the shank 26 of a stud 25. The washer stud; 28 is curved, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, so as to Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a spring-washer; resiliently press the coupling-bar and attaching- 40 Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a coupling-bar; bar in directions away from one another to hold Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form the heads 21 of the stud 25 in firm engagement of attaching-bar; and with the L-shaped flanges of the coupling-bar Fig. 10 is a still further modified form of atand the attaching-bar. taching-bar. By the foregoing described construction, with In the description and claims, the various the slots of the coupling-bars being arranged parts are identified by specific names for contransversely of the slots of the attaching-bars venience, but they are intended to be as generic and in parallel planes, any movement due to in their application as the prior art will permit. wind stresses on the house or due to expansion Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, I0 is by heat or contraction by cold or swelling by 50 a fragmental portion of a house having a supmoisture, etc., permits of relative movement in porting-structure or frame-structure II includ any and all directions in parallel planes between ing a plurality of upstanding supports or supthe coupling-bars and the attaching-bars, while porting-elements I2 which may be of wood or at the same time maintaining the parts in snug other suitable material. Attaching-bars or atengagement with the heads 21 of the attaching- 55 mg L-flanges 33 forming a studs by means of the spring-washers 28, thus avoiding rattling or other noise, especially, due to winds. The construction also affords a simple, easy method of assembly by slipping the attaching-studs into position in the T-slots of the coupling-bars and attaching-bars, and then pressing the spring-washers into position. The couplingbars 22 and the attaching-bars l3 and l3 can .be very conveniently and economically made oi non-ferrous metal, such, for example, as highcopper' metal such as copper, brass or the like, i

by the extrusion process.

Instead of making attaching-bars 'orattaching-pl-ates like those indicated by numeral i3, at-

taching-bars or attaching-plates 32, asin Fig. 9,

may be formed up from sheet-metal by provid- T-slot 34 and, if desired, this construction may have a pair'of sidewings 35 provided with holes 36 for securing them to the supports I2.

A still. further modified-form or attaching-bar or attaching-plate is-indicated by the numeral 31i in Fig; 10, and is preferably made of sheetmetal formed upto provide a U-channel construction 38 and a pair of attaching-wings 39 provided-with holes 40 to accommodate means for securing: the attaching-bars to the supports I2. The channel-portion 38 has cut-out openings 41, Hand 43; Openings 4| and 42 respectively permit the passage of a head 21 and a shank 26 of an attaching-stud 25 'to bring the shank 26 of a stud into the opening-43. The attachingstuds actsimilarly on all oftheforms' or attaching-bars or plates shown, inholding the coupling bars in assembled relation-therewith while permitting relative movement-thereto.

Q'The invention may be carried out in other speciflc ways than thosehe'rein set 'forth without departing from the spirit andlessential characteristics of the invention. and'the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and

n all changes. coming within the meaning and equivalency'range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein. I I claim:

r 1. A house or like structure including: a plurality of panels of sheet-material having their opposite side-edges arranged adjacent one another to provide a substantially-continuous surface; coupling-bars, one extending along and couplingeach two adjacent edges of sheet-material"; supporting-structure having an attachingface; guide-means extending longitudinally of each of said coupling-bars; guide-means on the attaching-face of said supporting-structure. and

extending transversely of the coupling-bar'guidemeans; and attaching-members 'which interconnect said coupling-bar guide-means and said supporting-structure guide-means and permit the coupling-bars and supporting-structure to respectively relatively move in directions parallel to their respective guide-means and transversely of means and permitthe coupling-bars to move relatively to said supporting-structure in a general plane approximately parallel to the general plane of said attaching-face; and spring-means which resiliently press said coupling-bars and said supportingstructure in directions away from one another;

3. A house or like structure including: a plurality of panels of sheet-material having their opposite side-edges arranged adjacent one another to provide a substantially-continuous 'surface; coupling-bars, one extending along and coupling each two adjacent edges of sheet-material; supporting-structure having an attaching-face; guide-means extending longitudinally of each of .said coupling-bars; attaching-members' which interconnect the attaching-face oi the supportirig-stiucturfand the coupling-bar guidecoupling-bars to move relatively to the'supporting-structure in a direction approximately parallel to the general plane of said attaching-face; and spring-means which.

resilientlyfpress said coupling-bars and said supporting-structure .in' directions away from one another;

4. A house or like opposite side-edges arranged adjacent one anstructure including: a pinrality of panels of sheet-material having their other to provide a substantially-continuous surface; coupling-bars, one 'extending along and coupling each two adjacent'e'dges ofsheetemaof each of said coupling-bars; guide-mean'sjon' theattaching-face. of said supporting-structure and extending'transversely of the couplingr-bar guide-means; attaching-members which interconnect said coupling-bar guide-means and said supporting-structure guide-means .and permit the coupling-bars and supporting-structure""to. respectivelyrelatively move in directions paral lel to their .respectiveJguide-means andv transversely of one another and in general planes approximately parallel to each other; and springmeans which resiliently press saidcoupling-bars and said. supporting-structure in directions away from one another.

5. A house or likestructure including: a plu- V rality of panels. of sheet-material having their oppositeside-edges arranged adjacent one another to providea substantially-continuous surcoupling each two adjacentedges-of sheet-material; supporting structure guide me'ans extending longitudinally of each fof said coupling-bars; attaching-bars secured to'said supporting-strum" tureand having guide-means extending' transversely of the coupling-bar guide-means; and attaching-studs. for attaching the coupling-bars and attaching-bars together; each attaching-stud having ahead at each of its opposite-ends, the

. 60' faceycoupling-bars, one extending; along and.

heads of each attaching-stud respectively having slidable engagement with thexcoupling-bar guide-means and with the attaching-bar guide-' means. I

6. A house or like structure including: apluralityof panels of sheet-material having their opposite side-edges arranged adjacent one another to provide a substantially-continuous surface; coupling-bars, one extending along and coupling each two adjacent edges of sheet-material; 'suppo'rting-structure; the coupling-bars having longitudinal guide-slots; attaching-bars secured to said supporting-structure and having guide-slots extending transversely of the coupling-bar guide-slots; and attaching-studs for 75.

30' terial; supporting-structure"having an attache. ing-face; guide-means extending longitudinally;

attaching the coupling-bars and attaching-bars together; each attaching-stud having a head at each of its opposite ends, the heads of each attaching-stud respectively having slidable engagement with the coupling-bar guide-slot and with the attaching-bar guide-slot.

7. A house or like structure including: a plurality of panels of sheet-material having their opposite side-edges arranged adjacent one another to provide a substantially-continuous sur-- face; coupling-bars, one extending along and coupling each two adjacent edges of sheet-material; supporting-structure; the coupling-bars having longitudinal guide-slots; attaching-bars 

